The Diamond Princess's Melancholy
by Lucia Hunter
Summary: NicoMaki story. Under the night sky scattered with brilliant stars that shine like diamonds, the love story between the ever-mischievous Nico and the prideful Maki unfolds. Volume One of my 'Songs of Muse; Songs for You' series.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Welcome (back), one and all, to another one of my fics. This is volume one of my 'Songs of Muse; Songs for You' series, themed after BiBi's first single. Featuring none other than my favourite pairing of NicoMaki, and so I struggled very hard in order to do them justice. **

**For those of you who came after reading my first fic (which is volume two), I should warn first that this one has close to zero of all other pairings. Absolutely NicoMaki focused. Everyone else just sort of fell out of focus because... =P  
**

**I was only gonna release this next week at first, but this week's episode of Love Live! was just... just... Well. Let's just say they couldn't possibly be shipping NicoMaki any harder than they did.**

**Also I will be spacing the lyrics out across chapters this time, so let me just credit the Love Live! School Idol Festival Wiki staff for their translations first. Thank you very much for the hard work.**

**Without further ado, please enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

It was just another normal night in the redhead composer's massive bedroom, except this time she was faced with a problem she hadn't really faced before.

"A song, huh..."

Maki hummed to herself the tune she had composed lately, struggling to find some inspiration. Lyrics weren't exactly her forte; those belonged to fluffy writers like Kotori and Umi (though she would never dare say that to her senior's face). In her mind all that flowed was the music, the soaring and dipping notes and the emotions they stirred within her. No matter how much she thought about it the words just eluded her grasp.

But the music she had made, surely she had some idea where she was going with it when she composed it?

Music was a language of its own, and Maki had already made up her mind what message she wanted to express while she was making it. The issue was merely putting it into words.

With a sigh, she opened her bedroom window into the cold autumn night air. Leaning on the ledge she continued humming, staring up at the bright yellow moon that was present that night amongst the many glittering stars. She reached out a hand towards the unreachable moon.

_I wonder what she's doing right now..._

* * *

"Argh, this isn't it either!"

Another wad of paper hit the wall and bounced into the nearly overflowing bin. _Who would've known that writing lyrics alone was so difficult?_ _Umi never hesitated with this task before, how on earth did she face this impossible challenge so many times?!_

Nico let loose a growl of frustration as she put down her pen upon the writing pad. If nothing else she was practical, and wasting paper wasn't going to help her get anywhere. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself and tried to approach the situation logically.

"I should listen to the song again and try to figure out what theme I want to go with this..."

With a few clicks on her laptop the music began once again, the chirpy and upbeat tune at odds with her rapidly worsening mood. The heavy synthesizer was terribly distracting, overpowering any thoughts Nico had. Why on earth did Maki even decide to choose their mini-unit's songs to experiment with the synthesizer anyway?!

Sliding on her chair across the room, Nico slumped on the windowsill, dangling her arms out lifelessly. Nothing was coming to mind.

Reaching a hand out towards the bright moon, the twin-tailed girl clenched her fist.

_I wonder if she's faring any better._

* * *

"Maki, have you completed the music for our mini-unit yet?"

It was just two days before that the members of BiBi were gathered in the clubroom to discuss their new single. The mini-units project had just begun, following an intensive voting session from the school as to the way the three groups would be split. Most of Muse had been ambivalent regarding how they should be split, but Nico had insisted that it was an idol's job to answer to their fans. Since Honoka found that an interesting idea to give back to the school for all their support, it was left to a public vote.

_To think that Nico would end up in the same mini-unit as Maki though._ _Really, what were the odds?_ Eli frowned as she looked at the two of them. Though she was the leader of the mini-unit, the pair always seemed to get absorbed in their own world, no matter whether Nico was busy teasing the junior or they were arguing away.

"I've got it here," the composer retrieved a disc from her school-bag and slid it into the clubroom's computer. "Gi- give it a good listen, okay?"

"Ehh? Is Maki-chan not confident in her work?~" Nico teased while she put her hands on the redhead's shoulders and slid up close to her face.

"Keep quiet, you."

Nico smirked as she snuggled closer to the other girl. Despite all her harsh words, she knew the composer never really meant them. And lately, Maki had even stopped pushing her away whenever Nico got too close for personal comfort.

Eight minutes later, Nico's jaw was hanging open.

"Harasho..."

"... Well?" the colour of Maki's cheeks was starting to match her hair.

Eli seemed to be frozen on the spot as she struggled to find the words she was looking for. "It's... different."

"What on earth is that screeching thing? And that thing making the weird beat? I can barely pick out the tune." Nico furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"It's called a synthesizer! Come on, it's not the first time I've used it..."

"It does sound familiar, but it's the first time you've used it this heavily though... Will our voices be able to come through?" the blonde asked in a hesitant voice.

"The synthesizer isn't really that heavy, it just sounds that way," Maki sighed as she averted her gaze from the rest. "I just wanted to experiment a bit with different styles. Anyway I do have a track of them with only the piano so it's easier to work with, I can always tweak the synthesizer around to fit afterwards. But the lyrics..."

Unable to resist the bait, Nico once again brought out her teasing voice. "Oh, Maki-chan isn't up to the challenge? It's time for Nico to shine and show you her genius then~"

The composer flushed red. "Of course I can do it!"

"You shouldn't force yourself if you can't, Maki-chan, let the brilliant Nico dazzle you~"

"Sh- shut up! I'm definitely able to do it!"

Faced with the two who were quickly devolving into their usual bickering, Eli made a snap decision to quell the situation. "Then how about this, why don't you write one song each? Maki can take the first song, and Nico can write the second one."

Maki fell into a contemplative silence, a thoughtful look coming over her face while she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "I'm fine with that."

"Of course, Nico will definitely write a better song~" The twin-tailed girl couldn't resist getting one last jab in, though the redhead didn't react.

"This isn't a match," Eli reminded. "We'll meet again next week, and we can start practising the songs then."

Picking up her bag, the blonde quickly left the room. Partially to leave the other two alone, and also to escape the situation.

_Harasho... Thank goodness neither of them realised that means I get away without having to work with writing lyrics for those weird-sounding songs. Honestly, what is a synthesizer anyway? Does it belong with the wind, string, brass or percussion instruments?_

With a shrug, Eli decided to ask Nozomi afterwards. The spiritual girl knew everything after all.

* * *

In two very different rooms far apart from one another, yet illuminated by the same autumn moon and glittering stars casting their light down upon them, two girls' thoughts aligned perfectly.

_I guess I'll write this song for her._

_... That idiot._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Why am I so cold? (I feel so mute)  
I gaze at you amongst the excitement (I feel so dizzy)  
I want to burn with passion, but why can't I? (I feel so nude)  
This is a diamond princess' style_

_Even though my radiance is perfect  
Something is missing... my heart stirs_

* * *

**Nico-Nico-Nii's Space  
Yazawa Nico's official blog**

Title: I'm confused.

Time: 8.26pm  
Weather: Windy, cold.  
Mood: Hungry. And sad.  
Current count: 100!

Hmm, Nico had such a terrible day today, you know? Although she finally reached a hundred (many many more to go!), it was a really frustrating hundredth time for her.

It started out a pretty normal day for me. Went to school, day-dreamed in lessons, got scolded by Eli for not studying enough, got reminded that midterms are coming up, and got... encouraged by Nozomi to study harder.

Damn that miko, up to her usual antics. But that's normal. I feel strange about writing this is normal, should I stand up to her to protect the rest of Muse? Then maybe the other girls will finally acknowledge me as a leader, ufufu... Nico needs to be the centre for more songs!

And then there was practice in the afternoon, where we were working on our setlist for the concert in a few months. Speaking of which, are you all excited? Nico here's really excited too! I can't wait to deliver my smile to all of you fans out there, so be sure to watch me carefully on that day, okay? (^_^)

Anyway, it's been only a few months since I started keeping track, but I already reached a hundred! Just thinking about it makes me feel all jittery inside. Let me think about some of my favourite times.

Like that time when we were shooting our fourth music video, after she gave me those chocolates. Too bad she made Nozomi delete the footage afterwards, her expression was sooooo cute then. Actually, knowing Nozomi she probably still has the footage somewhere, I need to find a way to get it from her... But yes! That time she totally thought she had the initiative, but I proved her wrong right afterwards hehe.

And then there was that time after Honoka said she wanted to quit being a school idol. Though I was really mad back then and didn't really notice it... it was one of the few times she initiated it. I felt really warm afterwards.

That time she caught me hiding in the music room lockers to listen to her play the piano secretly was so embarrassing though. Ever since then I openly sat inside the room with her. Of course, that's only by coincidence whenever I pass by.

But I will always remember that time in the club room while we were alone... Eyaaa, just thinking about it is making my face turn red. What are you making me say, you idiot! Anyway just so you all don't get the wrong idea, it was just teasing as usual! Nothing extra happened!

Today though, was nothing like any of the times before.

Practice ended late like normal, and all the others left straight for home afterwards while she went back to the music room to practice some more. Since it was pretty late already I waited for only a bit before following her there. Don't get me wrong, I was just worried about a girl being all alone in school when the sun had already set.

She barely looked at me when I entered though, focused on the piano as she was. Is poor Nico's existence really that faint? (T_T)

I don't really know much about classical music, but something seemed really different about what she was playing today. Her pieces are usually slow and calm, when she goes fast it's a little exciting but that's all.

But today though her music started out slow as usual, I could hear a recurring motif in the background. The same old boring notes that kept repeating, and she just had this stony expression on her face as she played. It looked like she had forgotten she was even playing, her fingers systematically moving across the keys.

And then with a crash that stunned poor Nico, she jumped into the second section. Her hands went almost three times faster, the notes flowing after one another. And from what I could hear, she was chaotically tearing that previous motif apart, shifting notes up and down while retaining the swift melody her fingers were rapidly playing.

She soon slowed down into the third part, and the motif came back unbroken. But following each one was a set of notes from the second movement, softer than the first.

I couldn't really figure out the meaning of the music, even though I knew she was playing it for me. I felt so useless then, that I couldn't hear her voice. This girl I fell in love with, who I know can't ever be honest with herself, tried to really talk to me for the first time today the only way she could.

But then that second set of notes just kept getting fainter in the melody, and that was when I noticed.

She was crying.

I don't know what really happened next. I only know I was on the seat hugging her right after that, but I don't remember moving there at all.

She just stopped playing entirely and sat there completely still. She felt so cold in my arms, like a block of ice. No, like a gemstone. That's how she's always been: a perfect, glittering diamond princess. And yet so cold and mute.

Everyone, if you were caught in this situation, what would you have done? Nico's confused too.

But before I could say anything, she only stood up, grabbed her bag and ran from the room. I called after her of course, but she didn't stop.

So there you go, the hundredth time I managed to get close enough to hug her. Knowing her, she'll pretend nothing happened at all when we meet tomorrow. That's just the kind of person she is.

Nico really hopes this sort of time won't happen again...

So well, readers, please continue to support me in my school idol career and my quest for this dense girl's heart.

* * *

**Author's Note: What do you mean the title of the blog looks like a particular voice actress's-  
****Anyway, thanks to Hikari3434 for helping to check the piano section. I actually have zero musical knowledge of my own and was fumbling in the dark there.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"So, have you two finished writing the songs?"

It was a week since they had decided to split up, and they were back together in the clubroom. Printemps was already practising their song on the rooftop; it seemed like they had barely encountered any difficulties writing their lyrics at all. According to what Honoka had mentioned offhand during a conversation earlier, Hanayo had written a song within a day and Kotori followed up the next upon reading hers.

Nico's eyebrow twitched when she thought of all the work she had put into her song. Despite deciding upon her theme, it had still taken her almost the whole week to nail down the lyrics. _Are those girls monsters or something?_

Even now she still wasn't happy with her work. But it wasn't her fault, it was the music Maki had given her! Really, how on earth was she supposed to fit anything coherent within that tune?!

"Here," Maki shrugged as she handed a sheet of paper to Eli nonchalantly. As if it had barely taken her any effort at all.

The twin-tailed girl let loose a soft growl, handing over her lyrics as well. Come to think of it if Maki had been the one making the music, surely she would've known which piece was the harder one. So that was why she was fine with taking the first song!

Scanning rapidly through Maki's lyrics, Eli frowned. "This song looks about right. Though the message is a bit confusing."

The redhead composer only remained silent, twirling her hair again. And so Nico grabbed the sheet of paper from Eli, reading intensely only to blink in surprise. _The Diamond Princess's Melancholy. And these lyrics... they're just like what I thought about her the other day. Does Maki view herself the same way? Is this song a message for me?_

With her typical smirk to hide her thoughts, Nico began her teasing. "Oh? Maki-chan fancies herself as a princess~ I know it's in your name and all but you shouldn't make it so obvious or the fans will think you're being haughty, you know~"

Her teasing was met only with silence as Maki tossed her head the other way, ignoring the black-haired girl. The sight made the small girl falter slightly: it was unusual for the other to not respond to her teasing. Was what happened a few days ago still on her mind?

Moving onto the next sheet of paper with Nico's song, Eli's eyebrow twitched. "Just get together already you two," she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"I said, as expected of Nico," Eli let loose an amused sigh, the smile on her face lighting up the room. "I think these look fine, why don't we try singing to see how it works out?"

After a run-through of the two songs, the trio sat down once again, frowns present on their faces. Silence reigned in the room for a short while as the last vestiges of the music continued ringing in their minds, each one of them assessing just what was wrong. Even during the songs they had already felt each other's growing unease.

"Something's missing," the composer mused.

"I knew it, Maki-chan's song was lacking after all! It's my victory!"

"Speak for yourself! Your song had even more empty gaps than mine!"

"Calm down, you two. Maki's song felt like it was missing something during the verses, but Nico's song also felt like it was missing impact during the choruses..."

With a scowl, Nico grabbed one of the sheets of lyrics from Eli and began scribbling away.

"Wha- what are you doing?! That's my song!"

"Keep quiet! Let Nico show you her prowess and fix your song for you!"

Maki was taken aback for a short while, the glower on her face growing stronger before she grabbed the other sheet from Eli and began scribbling away herself.

Caught in between the two again, Eli could only sigh once more. At this rate her hair was going to turn white prematurely.

"Done!" the raven-haired girl declared triumphantly as she slid the sheet of paper back to the centre.

"Mou... fine, that should do it," Maki passed her sheet back to Eli too.

"Nico, when did you learn to actually use English?.."

"You... I do study from time to time, okay?!" the diminutive girl waved her arms wildly in indignation.

"Maybe not enough," Maki's lip curled while she tried to suppress a smile, looking at the lyrics over Eli's shoulder.

"Grr... It was the best I could do! And what's with these lyrics? It's like you just threw in random words in the middle of the chorus!"

The redhead shrugged, fiddling with her hair. "I was just trying to imagine what sort of lyrics you would write. It sounds very much like you to me."

"You-..."

"Stoooop!" Eli raised a hand to her temples, rubbing away at the growing ache. Though there was a surprising utter lack of tension between the two despite their seemingly-heated argument, it still irked her to be in the middle. "Let's just give it a try and see how it works out, okay?"

And so BiBi gave their songs another shot, the clubroom echoing with their voices.

"That... went surprisingly well," Maki murmured in a disbelieving tone.

"Ufufu, now you realise the extent of Nico's genius. There's nothing Nico can't do, you know~" Though Nico's voice was confident in her teasing, she was just as startled inwardly by how _right_ the songs had sounded. _I guess... we really complete each other, huh?_

"Maki really fixed your song for you too though," the blonde was quick to point out. "It sounded a lot cuter than it was previously, it now really suits the image you were going for."

Nico's smirk slipped off her face at the reminder of her own failure. "Hmph. I could've fixed it myself if we had tried it out and I had more time to work on it."

"We need to work out who's singing which part though," Eli began marking on the sheet for The Diamond Princess's Melancholy. "Since someone here doesn't seem quite able to carry the solo English lines."

"... Oh shut up, you. It's not like I'll be needing to speak it in society anyway! What's the point!"

Eli laughed as she carefully put away the lyrics and picked up her bag. "I'll work on these at home and we can begin practice proper the next time we meet. Thanks for the hard work today."

A tense silence hung over the room once it was just the two of them left.

_I haven't been alone with her since that day... What's with this uncomfortable atmosphere?_ Nico fidgeted on her seat while she struggled to figure out something to do. "Not going to the music room today?"

Silence.

Nico couldn't take it any longer. Springing out of her seat, she slammed her hands on the table. "What is it with-"

"Nico-chan."

Just one word. Maki locked eyes with the third-year, and just like that her angry tirade was cut off even before it began. Nico found herself mesmerized by the younger girl's eyes, lost in their amethyst depths even as the other girl finished what she was saying.

"Let's go on a date."

Judging by the heat she felt at that moment, Nico knew that her face was every bit as red as the composer's.

* * *

_This has to be a dream. But if it is, please don't wake me up for just a little while longer._

The hours following that fateful sentence had passed in a blur, no matter how hard Nico had tried to engrave them in her memories. It had been so unbelievable, so inconceivable, that it seemed to blur together with her daydreams. And yet she knew that no matter how close to her fantasies it had been, the real deal was so much better.

After they left the school they had each gone home to change, with Nico tearing through her wardrobe like a hurricane. Since it still wasn't that cold out yet she had put together a simple outfit of a black top and white frilly skirt, along with a set of black heels to make up for the height difference between the two.

The two had met again wordlessly. Though Nico was a little bit disappointed by the simplistic blue sweater the first-year had thrown on, she was also too busy ogling her sleek long legs under those red shorts to care.

Dinner had tasted somewhat bland to Nico - or rather, by now she had almost forgotten just what it was she ate at that family restaurant. Amusingly enough, it was still silence that dominated most of their conversation, but it no longer held the same oppressive quality it did earlier. It was a comfortable silence that stretched between the two, interspersed with bits of conversation from Nico about the costumes she was working on with Kotori, or the newest songs Maki was creating.

In between those short lines both girls were clearly looking at each other, though they continued to narrowly avoid eye contact. Neither of them mentioned it, nor even made any outward sign of it such as awkward smiles or forced small talk. It was almost as if it was the way it was supposed to be.

The walk along the streets afterwards, Nico couldn't really have cared less where they were going. It wasn't their first time walking along by themselves (there were plenty of times Nico had... _coincidentally_ ended up going home the same time as Maki)_,_ but having had it termed as a date... Should she try to hold the redhead's hand? Nico found herself feeling almost dizzy at the prospect.

In the end, the twin-tailed girl never quite found the courage.

It was already rather late at night when they found themselves by the river, the sun having set hours ago. Despite the amount of traffic clogging up the roads, they were sufficiently far enough from it all to have some relative quiet in their deserted walkway. Nico stopped alongside a wooden billboard displaying a map of the area and its significance. This was as good a place as any.

With a sigh, Maki leaned against the railing with a pensive expression on her face.

Now. Now was the time. Nico took a deep breath as she stood in front of the first-year, asking the question that had been on her mind all night long.

"Maki, what's up with you?"

Silence was her only answer yet again. Except Maki at least averted her gaze downwards this time round, which was a new sign Nico hadn't quite seen before in her extensive private dictionary of 'Maki's actions and what they mean'.

The raven-haired girl bit her lip as she pondered her options. After all this time watching Maki, she knew the other girl would never bow to force.

"I won't make fun of you, you know."

Nothing.

"Come on, Maki, you can tell Nico all your troubles~"

Drop.

Nico blinked in surprise as Maki finally looked up with trails of tears streaming down her face, yet her expression was horribly blank. With her fists clenched, nails digging into her skin, the redhead advanced slowly on Nico.

"Maki?.." Nico couldn't help but back away from the other girl, but soon found herself trapped against a lamppost. Maki on the other hand continued closing in, until their faces were mere centimetres apart.

In the distance, a series of warning chimes sounded as a railway crossing lowered its barriers. Almost like a siren, an ominous premonition of what was about to rip through Nico's heart.

"I just wanted to say thank you."

Their lips met in a gentle kiss, warm and slightly moist from where Maki's tears lingered. But Nico could feel nothing but sadness from the act, a seeping despair that paralysed her mind.

"Thank you... and goodbye."

Backing away, the composer broke and ran, wiping furiously at her eyes.

Nico raised a hand after her but somehow couldn't find her voice. This was wrong. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be.

Falling upon her knees, Nico began weeping her own tears of sorrow.

_The beautiful girls that you see in your dreams  
May very well only exist in movies  
But no one knows for sure  
I won't say "I'll protect you..." or anything as I disappear  
Instead I'll burn hotter than those brittle and fragile ones  
I'm challenging you, you know?_

* * *

**Author's Note: Regarding the first half, ****for those who are unaware, the characters for Maki's given name translate literally into "True Princess". Also, no offence to Soramaru orz it's just Nico I'm poking fun at for the English part, I swear. =X  
Anyway from the concerts, ****Maki is indeed the centre for Diamond Princess's Melancholy, and Nico the centre for Love Novels, which is why the songs suit them so much.  
Love Novels is one of my all-time favourites. I joined LLSIF last year when a Love Novels event was ongoing, it's stuck with me ever since.**

**Second half, S2 EP1 dating clothes and spot muahaha. FYI in real life that place is like, right next to the main road if I'm not wrong. Totally not a good dating spot at all.  
Writing that last section was every bit as painful for me as it was for you to read it, I swear. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Nozomi, they're at it again," Eli sighed as she rested her head upon her desk, staring out the window at the sun that was just about to vanish over the horizon. _Those two, seriously. They're forever getting on my nerves one way or another. And we can't afford to delay the release of our mini-unit's single._

The spiritual girl had a complex look on her face as she began shuffling her tarot deck, flipping the top card to reveal 'The Moon'. "The problem is despite how much we know, we still have no clue what is the issue with Maki-chan..."

"There's got to be something we can do. They're not even seeing each other now, Nico just sulks in the clubroom all day while Maki locks herself in the music room. We're lucky we didn't have full Muse meetings these last few days, but there's one on Friday."

Pursing her lips, Nozomi flipped over the next card. 'The Chariot'.

"Well in that case, let's just get them together," she announced decisively as her usual sly grin appeared.

"Together? You mean like-" Eli's cheeks started to flush.

"Oh? Why, surely Eli-chi isn't new to the idea of two girls dating?" Nozomi teased as she stood up from her desk.

"... Let's just focus on them," the blonde muttered. "I'm sure you have a plan as usual."

"That I do~ So this is how it goes..."

* * *

Taking a deep breath to calm her mind, Maki placed her fingers on the piano's keys.

Quiet.

The music wasn't flowing any more. Just like yesterday when she had come here, the room had only been bathed in silence for the whole two hours she sat there. The few times she tried to play something the resulting notes had sounded off and jagged, forcing her to stop.

How could it be that even her favourite pastime, the one way she knew to express her emotions, was denied to her?

_She gave me everything, and then took it all away. My mind, my music..._

_My heart._

Slamming her hands onto the keys in frustration with a crash that resounded throughout the room, the composer got up and went back to her schoolbag. Pulling out a medical textbook, she tried to absorb herself in the reading.

_It's all over anyway. My time as a school idol, my time with music. And my time with her._

_I told myself I would be strong after that one last night._

_I need to move on._

* * *

_I need to move on._

Nico bit her lip as she continued staring into blank space within the clubroom, just like she had for the the whole of yesterday and today. Her mind ran in circles, the same old thoughts chasing each other over and over again. Nothing made sense any more.

Ever since that night, the redhead composer wouldn't even look at her.

What went wrong? Pinching herself and letting the pain sharpen her focus, Nico decided to think about things from the start to figure it out.

_Do my best, never ever give up  
Na na na na na, I want to be yours  
Do my best, never ever give up  
Na na na na na, I want to be yours_

Though it wasn't really like there was a clear starting point. No matter how much she racked her brain, she had no clue when she had first fallen in love with Maki. Perhaps it was even from their first meeting in the clubroom, when she had demonstrated her trademark introduction to the members of Muse. Despite how quickly everyone else had fallen in line to please her, the redhead had been the only one to remain silent after declaring she wasn't doing it, twirling her hair.

_You're slow to the point where it's actually kind of amazing  
Any normal person would've realized it a long time ago_

_"Oh?"  
It's the same old act today  
I'll run into you by "coincidence"  
But this just feels even more lonely  
Look at me already!_

Ever since those days her interest in the girl had been slowly increasing, and Nico only knew one way to deal with that: the same way she had dealt with her growing interest in Muse before she became its president. She began routing her paths to the clubroom through the first-year corridors, taking detours by the music room during days without club activities, timing her exits from the school to match...

_I'm praying  
I'm crying (Please)  
But my love just won't come true (It won't?)  
It's more like a side story than the main plot (Come on already)  
I have to stop trying so hard (I'm over here)  
I'm getting impatient  
I'm crying (I hate this)  
But my love just won't come true...?  
In conclusion... I love you, I'm in love with you (Kiss!)_

Only a pitiful third of her efforts had been rewarded with a glimpse, or sometimes even a short walk with Maki. During those times she had gone all out in her teasing, enjoying the first-year's adorable reactions. The more she got to see those actions, the more Nico was convinced she was really, really starting to like the girl who just couldn't be honest with her own feelings.

_I want these feelings to reach you, but you just don't get it  
I'm so anxious that I haven't been able to relax at all lately_

_"Understood!"  
You're so simple-minded that you don't notice  
Your feelings are far from passionate  
In that case I'll just have to try even harder  
To become your girlfriend!_

At first Nico thought the other girl barely noticed her at all, simply letting her tag along as if the senior was below her attention. But as she persevered, the haughty first-year began to thaw, sometimes not even bothering to push the clingy raven-haired girl away anymore during the teasing. And Nico started to notice an incredible increase in the frequency the two were meeting, almost as if the other girl was starting to put in effort to make sure the coincidences would happen...

_I'm insecure  
I want to keep feeling it (I want to know more)  
I've been caught up in love (Caught!)  
The whole book is probably a love story (Love love)  
I'll write it myself for our sake (It'll be a happy end)  
I'm troubled  
I can feel it (Idiot!)  
I've been caught up in love...!  
To summarize... I love you, I'm telling you I love you (Squeeze!)_

By this point, Nico was certain that she wanted to date the redhead, even more than she wanted to become an idol. Maki had become an all-consuming obsession on her mind, even if she couldn't quite pinpoint just why she loved Maki so. Was it her talent? Her pride and haughtiness? Her dishonest self that reminded Nico just so much of herself?

All Nico knew was that up till recently, she was absolutely certain no one else was able to understand the composer as easily as she could. Which was why this latest development had thrown her for a loop.

A knock on the door sounded, startling her out of her reverie. The other members of Muse should have been busy with their own stuff, so this person was...

Nico's heart sank as a familiar blonde entered the room instead of the first-year she had been hoping against hope for.

"Are you alright?" Eli took a seat at the table across from where she was. "You've been really out of it these last couple of days."

Silence hung over the room for a couple of seconds, before the twin-tailed girl realised just how much she was acting like her stubborn beloved, bringing a bitter laugh out of irony.

Eli's eyebrow twitched. "Okay, I guess that was a silly question."

"No no, sorry Eli, I wasn't laughing at your question. Thanks for the concern. I just..." Nico sighed as she slumped backwards against the backrest of her chair. _Forget about Maki, I'm no better at expressing myself._

"Well, you two can't continue like this."

"Isn't that obvious?" Nico snapped back. "But what can I possibly do?! She won't even talk to me. I don't even know what's wrong."

"No one does, Nico. But you're the only one who can find out," Eli coaxed gently, her motherly patience calming down Nico's outburst.

The twin-tailed girl closed her eyes, suppressing the urge to just let out another sigh. _If only things were that easy._

"Nico, think about your feelings. Listen to your heart, what does it say?"

_Listen to my heart, huh. Isn't that obvious too, from the start..._

Eli smiled wryly when she saw the look of contemplation appear on the diminutive girl's face, erasing the despair that had been there. "So, what will you do?" the blonde asked, unable to resist the urge to borrow Nozomi's favourite line.

"I'm going to the music room."

"Here, you'll need this," Eli placed a pair of keys on the table. "I helped to borrow the keys to the room already."

"Thanks Eli. I really appreciate it," Nico let out a genuine smile for the first time in two days, touched by her friend's kindness.

"... And this," Eli couldn't help but blush as she took another pack of items from the shelf behind her and slid it across the table.

Nico's smile slid off her face as blood began to rush to her cheeks as well. "You're kidding me."

"It was Nozomi's idea, I swear! And you know she's always right!"

"... I hate you two."

Ten minutes later Nico was hurrying along the corridors as fast as she could, bag in one hand and music room keys in the other. _This better work. But no matter what, I guess it's better than doing nothing, right?_

_Do my best, never ever give up  
Na na na na na, I want to be yours  
Do my best, never ever give up  
Na na na na na, I want to be yours_

* * *

**Author's Note: Can't afford to delay the release of the mini-unit single?! BiBi's first single was delayed for a whole year after Printemps' and Lily White! *flips table* But that's all in the past now. It may also explain why the music for BiBi is so incredibly different, as referenced earlier.  
Also, how on earth does Nozomi only draw the Major Arcana from her tarot deck all the time, does her deck only have 22 cards? xD**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The sound of the door unlocking stirred Maki out of her concentration, blinking as she refocused her eyes on her surroundings. Since when had it gotten so dark outside? She should be home soon for dinner...

Wait, the lock? Was it already that late that the security guard was here to chase her out? By right students weren't allowed to lock themselves in the classrooms, she could get in trouble for this.

The door slid open to reveal a sight that she couldn't possibly have expected though, causing a surge of blood to her face. Standing up and rushing over, she struggled to find the right words. "Wh- what the hell are you doing you idiot?!"

"Shh!" Nico hissed back. "No one should still be around at this time but I still don't want to take any chances!" With a click, the door was locked behind her from the inside.

Maki averted her gaze, struggling to look at anywhere, anything except the third-year. And failed miserably. "Then don't- don't wear that in the first place!"

"Hehe, can't resist cute little Nico's beauty right?"

The redhead couldn't find a response as she gave up and glared at Nico, only to have the glare soften while she took in the glorious view. The smaller girl was dressed in a rather revealing panda-themed outfit from a photo-shoot they had done some time back, and the look absolutely fit her. Maki's eyes devoured the sight hungrily, looking at her soft pale skin, her cute belly-button, her smooth legs... _What is this adorable creature in front of me,_ Maki's face was so red she wouldn't be surprised if she had steam spouting out of her ears.

After two days of avoiding interaction, Maki absolutely missed the smaller girl.

When Nico reached up to cup Maki's cheek with her hand, she didn't resist, mind still in a whirl. She simply let Nico pull her down and kiss her, reciprocating fervently. Their tongues danced together in a kiss that was devoid of the sadness it had just a few nights before, containing only the passion both of them had been repressing for so many months.

Yes, this was right. This was how their first kiss was supposed to be. Maki found herself unable to think coherently as she felt Nico's tongue stroke hers hungrily, waves of love and lust together overwhelming her mind.

Her hands went around the third-year's bare shoulders to pull her closer. Closer, where she wouldn't let anyone separate them-

The thought doused her fevered mind like a bucket of cold water, causing her to break off the kiss with a stunned expression, backing away unsteadily.

Nico cursed. "Maki, listen to me."

"No, I can't-" the redhead began turning towards where her bag was. The dream had lasted long enough, she had to wake up.

"Damn it Maki, listen!" Nico snarled as she slammed into the redhead with as much force as she could muster with her smaller frame, succeeding in bringing both of them to the ground.

"Ugh... What was that-" Maki's rebuke was cut off as she found Nico's face just centimetres from her own once again. Squirming, she found herself pinned under the older girl.

Ruby eyes glared at amethyst ones, until Maki gave up and stopped struggling. "I'm listening."

"Maki, I love you."

Silence hung in the air after the declaration. After all, it was a completely needless affirmation of something both had already known for a very, very long time.

"... I know."

"No no Maki-chan, that's not how it's supposed to go. You're supposed to say, 'I love you too'~" Nico couldn't resist teasing despite knowing how pointless it was.

"Nico-chan, I love you too."

Though it was her who had asked for it, the twin-tailed girl still found her own face turning incredibly red. Leaning in, Nico frowned when the redhead twisted her head to the side, dodging the kiss.

"Maki, that's not how it's supposed to go either."

Maki let out a sigh. "We can't date each other, Nico-chan. For that matter, I can't even be a school idol anymore."

The thought stabbed deep into Nico's heart. "Why?"

"My father."

Getting up, Nico helped her junior get back on her feet. "Explain yourself. And don't even think about running again, we've already come this far."

Walking over to the window, Maki looked out into the dark night sky, the earliest stars glittering like diamonds in the pitch-black velvet. "My father saw videos of our concerts the other day, and said it wasn't behaviour befitting of someone who is to become a doctor. I have to quit Muse and focus on my studies." Her hands gripped the windowsill, knuckles tight from the pressure she was putting upon them.

"And?"

"And what? It's over, Nico-chan. You don't understand. This is who I'm supposed to be, the heiress to a hospital. Being a school idol, being with you, all those were just dreams I had to wake up from eventually. I can't possibly do all of those, not in this society."

Her words faded into the heavy atmosphere, as Nico gripped her own fists tightly. Now that she had finally gotten to the heart of the problem, she wasn't quite sure how to feel. Despair? Anger at the situation? At herself?

Or perhaps, it was at the girl she loved so much.

"What do you want to do, Maki?"

"I told you, I have to-"

"I didn't ask what you have to do or what you were told to do. I asked what you wanted to do."

The composer turned around, locking eyes with Nico. The third-year had nothing but determination on her face, a glare of steel that shattered Maki's fragile composure.

For a quiet minute neither said anything, until Maki felt a strange sensation of something streaming down her cheeks.

"I..." Maki found herself at a loss for words as uncontrollable tears began flowing. _Such a question... of course you already know the answer!_

Stepping over to her beloved's side, Nico embraced her in a tight hug and rubbed her back soothingly. "It's okay, Maki."

The redhead only sobbed harder, letting her voice out for once. The two stayed in that position until Nico finally felt Maki calm down, her heaving sobs coming to an end.

"It's going to be alright. Let the invincible Nico take care of it, okay?"

"What are you going to do?"

Nico only smiled cheerfully as she grabbed the younger girl's arm. "Let's just go. And before the security guards come chase us out of the room, it's quite late."

With a gentle pull Nico began to lead the other out of the music room, only to feel Maki wasn't budging at all. Turning around, Nico threw her a questioning look.

"You... might want to change first."

For the countless time in recent days, Nico felt heat rising to her cheeks once more.

_I'll love you so much that you won't believe it (you'll get my love)  
__To the point where I look like I'll cry in pain (I'm trembling)  
__Sensibility has been holding me back (you'll get my land)  
__But now the princess wars are breaking out_

_I'll tempt you and embrace you in frustration  
If you forget about everything else... you won't need to worry about tomorrow_

* * *

"That took longer than expected," Nozomi mused from around the corner where Nico and Maki had left hurriedly, running off hand-in-hand.

Eli could only smile at the development. "I suppose they got distracted. You did send Nico in there with such a dangerous costume after all."

"Me? I'm an innocent pure miko, you're the one who asked her to wear it~"

"Well, at least there's progress. Oh dear, I forgot to remind Nico to return the keys to the staffroom..."

"You always slip up on the details, Eli-chi."

"Which is why I always need you by my side to remind me of things, right?" Eli smiled as she began walking off. "Come on, it's getting really late and we should get going too since we need to stop by the staffroom to explain things first. Then we can have dinner together afterwards, I hear a nice family restaurant opened nearby."

With a grin on her own face, the spiritual girl followed the blonde. "Anything you say, Eli-chi~"

* * *

**Author's Note: Nico wearing her panda costume? What is this adorable creature?! Credits to Ooshima Tomo-sensei for that particular piece of plot.**

**That last bit was from a recent (11th April 2014) Twitter photo of NanjoIno lunching together with Kussun. I swear my heart skipped a beat when I saw it, especially with its heart-shape overlay... Dangerous. These voice actresses are dangerous for my heart.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_Rather than a bodyguard wrapped in light  
I want the scent of darkness  
I whispered that into your ear, but it's no good; you don't get it  
Nobody cares about a future that doesn't exist anymore, right?  
It's so boring for a prince to be frightened  
I'll just stay as my dangerous self_

_I'm a sparkling princess, a sighing princess  
I hate the ordinary, I don't want this safety  
I'm a melancholic princess while I'm awake  
My heart wants to be disturbed_

As Maki let herself be led along the streets, she forced herself to be honest in her own mind.

It wasn't like she hadn't predicted this development. On the contrary...

She let out a wry smile as she focused on the warmth of the small hand pulling her along, the bossy senior of hers walking slightly ahead as she led them to their destination.

When had Maki fallen in love with the other girl? She couldn't put a date nor a specific memory to it. Not like it really mattered anyway.

At first the senior had been nothing but annoying: constantly teasing her, seemingly taking every opportunity she could to get on her nerves. It was as if Nico was an absolute sadist doing everything she could just to see Maki's flustered face. But each time after Maki had cracked, she had been rewarded with a look of pure happiness on Nico's face. The joy on such an adorable face, it was too much for her heart.

Plus in a way, she really enjoyed the attention the senior lavished on her. Not to mention how comfortable she had felt with her: every 'misunderstanding' was only falsely created by Nico as a pretext for more of her usual teasing, and what that really meant was that Nico understood her absolutely.

After some time, she even began looking forward to their coincidental encounters. It hadn't really taken a lot of effort on her part. Since Nico was already changing her schedule to match hers, the least she could do was reward her senior for putting in that much effort, right?

The issue had always been left between the two unspoken, both knowing that they were way closer than friends should be. But it wasn't really a topic avoided out of awkwardness on Maki's part; more like it was something so simple, so obvious that it wasn't worth mentioning.

The two of them belonged together from the start. And that was how she had always thought they would be, until the recent altercation with her father.

A time when she received a painful reminder that she was due to become a high-ranking, upstanding member of society. And such people, 'did not wear costumes and prance around in song and dance'.

Much less do something as socially-questionable as date other girls.

It should have been the end for them there and then, but Maki couldn't help but cling on to a small hope. That this girl, this impossibly aggravating, annoying, bossy, dishonest girl who had come into her life and turned it upside down, could save her.

So she called for help the only way she could, composing the music exactly the way she knew it would be received. Even the argument over who would write the lyrics had gone how she imagined it would.

She was interested in knowing just what sort of song Nico would write to a tune composed specially for her, after all.

The fact their songs would turn out incomplete until the other added their own touch to it though, that was unexpected. But it only served to reaffirm the fact in her mind that the two of them were meant for each other. Besides, without Nico's unwitting help through her weblog post, there was no way Maki could've found the words to put in her song in the first place... Speaking of which, she really had to get Nico to stop posting so much details of their lives, no matter how many fans and visitors it attracted.

As for what had happened next... that wasn't anything she had come up with. By then her rational mind had caught up, that all hope was lost. That there was no way the two of them could ever be together. And yet her heart refused to give in, asking for one last night... the pain that resulted had been the only logical conclusion. But at least it had also stirred Nico into action.

And that was why today, though a surprise, was still going according to the plan her small seed of hope had decided upon a couple of weeks ago.

Gripping Nico's hand just that little bit tighter, Maki lessened the distance between the two of them till their bodies were touching.

Wherever that annoying twin-tailed girl led her, she would follow.

* * *

The past hour had been nothing but tense for the two of them. When the pair had arrived at Maki's home, they were immediately whisked away to the dining room where they had a nerve-wrecking dinner alongside Maki's parents. Any attempts to broach the subject of why Nico was really there had been skilfully avoided by Maki's mother, who controlled the conversation and made small talk regarding Nico's family and schoolwork. Maki's father had only continued eating without a word after a single appraising look at Nico, adding to her level of unease regarding the situation.

And after the dinner, the two girls had been ushered into the lounge where they waited by themselves for what seemed like forever to Nico, while Maki only sipped at her tea in a display of calmness... or what it should have been, except Nico could hear the teacup clattering from her trembling hand each time she set it back upon the saucer.

When Maki's parents finally entered and seated themselves on the sofa opposite them, it was almost a relief to Nico. At least, until she remembered what she had to do. Nico gritted her teeth as she stood up and bowed.

"Nishikino-san, please let me date your daughter."

In her heart, the twin-tailed girl began to waver when she realised just how terrible an impression she was making. This was nothing but an absolutely suicidal way to introduce oneself to his/her girlfriend's family in Japan: she had arrived unannounced, the parents weren't even aware of the relationship before this, and she hadn't brought a single gift.

"Sit down. You said you two met in this... Muse, was it? In the school idol group?"

Nico gulped as she complied. "Yes sir."

Maki's father let out a long-suffering sigh. "I don't want to be unreasonable about this, but I have had this conversation with our daughter before. As the heiress to a hospital and a future doctor, such activities have no place in her life."

"But sir! They don't interfere with her studies at all! The Maki I know is definitely smart enough to handle everything!"

"That is not the issue. It is how her future clients and patients will view her. It is a tough patriarchal society as it is, I do not wish my daughter to have an even harder time running the hospital."

Nico's confidence ebbed further when the words sank into her mind. It was a point she hadn't considered before this moment.

"Can you imagine how it will be for her? Having to deal with people who will always judge her by her past days as an idol?"

The words cut into Nico, who found a frown forming on her face against her will.

"Besides, what does being a school idol even do for her? How does it even enhance her life?"

Unable to bear it any longer, the third-year shot up from her seat once more.

"How could you even say that?! Have you even seen the videos of our concerts?"

"So what if I have?" Maki's father raised a challenging eyebrow.

"Then you should have known! You should have seen her _smile!_"

The words lingered in the air after Nico's shriek. The head of the family only waited wordlessly for the girl to continue.

Though intimidated by the silence, Nico pressed on. "I know because I was always, always watching Maki. And the smile she has whenever she performs, whenever she sings, that's a smile she never has anywhere else. I tried so hard so many times, but I could never get the same smile from her. Maki loves music more than anything else in this world, and you can't take that away from her just like that!

"Also, what do you mean people will judge her by her past days as a school idol?! Do you have any idea how amazing idols are? They work hard and give their best in everything they do, and only the talented survive in the industry. For Muse to have become this famous and come so far with her as a part of it is not a shameful thing! It's something to be proud of! Her future clients and patients, when they see her they won't be judging her! They'll be begging her for autographs!

"So don't you dare take away what's precious to Maki! I don't care if she has to study medicine in college, but let her chase her dreams alongside it at least! Let her enjoy and do the things she really wants to do!"

The atmosphere turned still once more. Ashamed of her outburst, Nico sat down, though she continued to lock eyes defiantly with Maki's father.

As the stand-off continued, Nico began to regret having shouted in the first place. With his eyes boring into her, the raven-haired girl found it harder and harder to stand her ground as she began to wish she could just disappear. _How- how could I lose my temper just like that... This sort of horrible impression won't help us at all! _

The stand-off persisted for another minute before Maki's father turned his eyes to his daughter. "Maki."

"Yes papa?"

"Three years. You only get to continue with this foolishness for another three years while you're still in high school." Standing up, the man headed for the door.

Nico felt her insides freeze over. She was only allowed to be with Maki for another three years? Beside her she could feel Maki begin to rise in protest, but Nico gripped her hand tightly to stop her.

The last thing she wanted was for them to be forced apart this very moment. She didn't think she could possibly bear that pain.

Maki's father paused at the doorway, his hand on the doorknob as if considering something.

With a cough, he continued speaking. "But I have no problems with you dating this girl however long you want. It is a progressive society... and I'm happy that you've found someone who treasures you so." The door clicked quietly behind him as he left the room.

The two girls stared at each other in disbelief.

"Nico!" "Maki!" With simultaneous cries, the two girls leapt into each other's arms as if they had timed it.

A soft cough reminded them that they weren't alone in the room just yet, with Maki's mother standing at the door.

"Sorry Nishikino-san," Nico apologised awkwardly with the brightest smile she could muster to defuse the situation.

The red-haired woman only returned a smile of her own. "I'll go talk to her father, which I suppose will take a while. Feel free to just leave whenever you have to, Yazawa-chan."

"Please, just Nico is fine. And I'm sorry for coming unannounced. I'll bring gifts next time." The polite words rolled awkwardly off Nico's tongue, unused to expressing sincerity and honesty.

The woman laughed gently, with an expression much like her daughter's. "Don't be silly, Nico-chan. You gave us our daughter's smile back. That's the greatest gift we could ever ask for."

The door closed once more, and finally it was just the two of them left in the room.

"Always watching me, huh?"

Nico smirked as all the tension went out of her shoulders. "Of course. Nico's been watching you carefully since the day we met~"

"But you got one thing wrong. It's not music that I love more than anything else in the world..."

"Oho? What is it then?"

"Th- that... the answer is obvious isn't it!"

"But I still want to hear it from your lips," the senior continued teasing as always. Now that things were back to normal, she had the luxury of seeing her beloved Maki's face in all sorts of embarrassed expressions again.

On her part, Maki only held on to her girlfriend's hand as she avoided her gaze. "Sh- shut up! I'm not saying it here!"

"Hehe, Maki-chan's blushing is so cute~"

* * *

**Author's Note: And as it turns out, everything went according to plan. Though it nearly fell apart if not for a meddling miko and a blonde stuck between the two lovebirds. And Nico being awesome at the end to stand up for the two things she loves the most: Maki, and idols.**

**And we find ourselves near the conclusion of another love story. This pair really never changes, does it?**


	7. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_The beautiful girls that you see in your dreams  
May very well only exist in movies  
But no one knows for sure  
I won't say "I'll protect you..." or anything as I disappear  
Instead I'll burn hotter than those brittle and fragile ones  
I'm challenging you, you know?_

"Hey Maki, will you play the piano for me?"

The two of them were in Maki's studio within her house, spending the weekend together. Maki's parents were away on a business trip, and the redhead composer had (very indirectly and with much blushing) invited Nico over to study and stay overnight. It was already late at night and the servants had long gone home, leaving the two alone in the house.

Though so far all that had happened were only a few chaste kisses. Maki had actually meant it when she asked her girlfriend to bring all her homework.

"Don't change the subject and keep working on that English essay. You'll be in deep trouble if you fail your midterms."

"No really, I want to hear you play," Nico pouted while she snuggled up to the redhead as she usually did. "Besides, Nico's been working all day and she deserves a break~"

"I guess it can't be helped," Maki sighed as she went over to the piano.

"I want to hear that piece you were playing the other day. The way it's supposed to be."

Maki froze on the spot for a moment, considering. "It's just the last movement that's different."

"Please let me listen to it."

Placing her fingers on the keys, Maki began playing the same melody she had the other day, the music reverberating within the soundproof studio. Nico placed her pen down and let herself follow the notes, watching her girlfriend's sleek hands dance across the keys.

The piece sounded a lot more complex this time round, yet Nico was able to pick out the individual notes by watching Maki's hands. Both motifs of the first and second movement were present and being played simultaneously; working together, building a greater melody out of it. Her left and right hands darted across the notes, each doing their individual thing but coming together to form the music as a whole.

When the music faded away, Nico moved over to the piano, sitting down and leaning on Maki's shoulders. "And that's the way it should be."

"You can... hear?" _What I'm trying to say?_

"Nico isn't an idiot, you know~ Hey Maki-chan, did Nico pass your challenge?"

Turning around to look at her girlfriend, Maki brought their faces within mere centimetres of each other. Loving amethyst eyes stared into ruby eyes tinged with mischief and amusement.

"With flying colours."

* * *

Half an hour later the two of them were in the house's large bath together, in the middle of a rather awkward atmosphere.

Maki closed her eyes and tried to pretend the other girl wasn't there, which wasn't quite possible with the way Nico was splashing about just across from her.

"I know your family's rich and all, Maki, but was there really a need for such a large bath?"

"Ju- just settle down already," the redhead tried to reply as nonchalantly as she could, only to have her voice betray her unease.

The bath fell silent for a short while, though she could still hear the ripples of Nico moving about a lot more quietly.

Poke.

"Kyaa!" Maki shrieked as her eyes snapped open, only to find Nico right in front of her. "What are you doing?!"

"Ufufu, I couldn't resist with how tense you were~ Maki-chan, it's not the first time we've been together in a bath."

The redhead tilted her head back to avert her gaze, her hair-bun touching the wall of the bath. "It's the first time we've been alone in one!"

"Yeah, but Nico already saw enough the first time~"

"Even back then?.."

"Always," Nico positioned herself over her girlfriend, brushing their noses together. "Was Maki-chan looking at someone else then? Should Nico be jealous?"

Her only reply was a long and passionate kiss as the redhead took the initiative for once, their tongues dancing with one another. Nico found Maki's hands wandering hesitantly over her back, awkward due to their state of undress.

Breaking off, Maki glared at the other girl. "Don't be silly. The only one I'll ever love is you."

Hearing one of Maki's rare declarations of love, Nico couldn't help but feel the heat rising to her cheeks - and from a source other than the bath they were in.

"Besides, if you watch the rest once in a while, you would've noticed that everyone else already has their own pairings."

Nico blinked at the news. "Really?"

Maki sighed. "I don't think anyone else has confessed, but they couldn't possibly be more obvious about it than if they had tried. How could you not have noticed it?"

"Nico was busy watching Maki-chan. And she always will be~"

A comfortable silence hung over the pair for a few seconds as they stared into each other's eyes once more.

"... Idiot," Maki murmured as she pulled Nico in for another kiss.

**Fin.**

* * *

**Author's Note: And here we are at the end, once again. Credits to the LLSIF Wiki staff for song translations, Ooshima Tomo-sensei for a few delicious scenes regarding Panda-Nico and the bath, Hikari3434 for both beta-reading and helping out with piano knowledge, and of course to everyone who followed/favourited/reviewed.**

**Of course, this whole's story's release was timed specially to end on this glorious day, the birthday of our precious Scarlet Princess, Nishikino Maki! May her voice forever be singing clearly in our hearts, and her face continue to be contorted in all precious expressions of innocence and embarrassment.**

**Writing NicoMaki was pretty hard because I kept running into the same old reactions: if you're really bored you can try a drinking game where you take a shot every time someone blushes or falls into silence in this fic. I refuse to take responsibility for your death from alcohol poisoning.**

**If you liked this story, consider leaving a review/favourite to let me know. =) Your support is appreciated.**

**So until we meet again, hopefully in the other volumes of this Songs of Muse; Songs for You series.**

**Thank you for reading.**


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